Process of reducing zinc ores.



PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

C. G. P. DE LAVAL. PROCESS OF REDUCING ZINC ORES.

APPLICATION FILEDJULYH. 1905.

' UNITED sTAr s CARL GUSTAF PATRIK DE LAVAL,

PATENT "OEEIOE. I

OE sTooKnoLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR TO sOOIETE ANONYME METALLURGIQUE PROCEDES DE FORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, A CORPORATION OF LAVAL, OF FRANK- BELGIUM.

PROCESS OF REDUCING ZINC ORES.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed July 15,1905. Serinl No 269,756.

To on whom (It may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL GUs'rAF PATRIK DE LAVAL, engineer and doctor of philosophy, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Kungstriidgiirdsgatan 2 C, Stockholm, Sweden, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Processes of Reducing Zinc Ores, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to an improvcinent in the process of extracting zinc or Oxid of zinc from its ores, and consists therein, that the zinc ore together with materials necessary for carrying out the reactions in question is introduced in a furnace chamg as to form carbon monoxid her, in which the charge is subjected to a rapid rotation by means of a rapidly rotating gas or air current, during which rotation the chemical reactions are carried out.

if the zinc ore consists of un-roasted sulfid of zinc the charge is composed of sulfid of zinc, carbon and iron Ore, whereas the gas current consists of carbon nionoxid or air, mixed with carbon in a proportion so as to form carbon monoxid in the furnace chamber. If the sulfid of zinc is roasted iron ore need not be added. If the material to be treated consists of zinc oxid carbon is added for its reduction whereby the gas current preferably consists of carbon monoxid to avoid re-oxidation of the zinc. If zinc oxid is to be produced an air current is employed for obtaining the oxidation. The composition of the charge may. be varied according to circumstances. The compositions above mentioned serve only as examples, which are not embraced, in the patent protection, as the several compositions are previously known.

The accompanying drawing shows in Figure 1 in vertical section and in Fi 2 in horizontal section a furnace for carrying out the process according to the present invention.

The charge is introduced continually and uniformly in the upper part of the furnace chamber, for instance throu h the hopper 2, whereas simultaneously car on monoxid or air mixed with carbon in a proportion so within the furnace chamber is introduced tangentially and with great velocity by pressure or suction through the pipe 5. Owing to the tangential directlon, in which the air or as current is introduced the current will fol ow the circu- I lar furnace wall and is thus brought into a rapid rotation, which is also imparted to the charge introduced. In or near the center of the bottom of the furnace chamber-is an outlet 4 for the gases developed during the process. Said gases will thus flow in a spiral direction durin their wayfroin the furnace wall, which they follow at the inlet, to the outlet in or near the central line of the furnace. The charge on the contrary is subjected to the centrifugal force during the rotation and moves from the central line of the furnace to the circumference of the same, during which motion the chemical processes current will therefore move 1n opposite directions toward one another, Owing to which the processes are carried out rapidly and completely.

The crude ore and slag the process gather on the flow down to the lower part of the furnace, from which they are drawn off through the outlet 3. The developed zinc gases or the zinc oxid fume follow the gases out through the outlet 4 and are condensed or gathered in any convenient manner. In the construction shown on the drawin the Outlet is formed with a hollow wall an which is cooled by means of a water current circulating through the pipes 7 and 8.

aving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is 1. The process of reducing zinc ores which consists in subjecting a pulverous charge containing the zinc ore mixed with materials necessary for carrying out the chemical reactions in a suitable furnace to a rapid rotating or whirling motion produced by means of a current of gas.

roduced during consists in subjecting a pulverous charge containing zinc ore mixed with materials necessary for carrying out the chemical reactions to a rapid rotating or whirling motion in a furnace by means of a tangentially introduced current of gas.

3. The herein described process of reduc ing zinc ores which consists in feeding a pulven'zed-charge of zinc ore mixed with the ma- 2. The process of reducing zinc ores whichare carried out. The charge and air or gas urnace wall and terials necessary for carrying out the chemical reactions, and subjecting, it to a rapid rotary motion produced by a current of gas applied in a plane substantially at right angles to the line of feed, substantially as described.

4. Theprocess of reducing zinc ores, which consists in subjecting a pulverous charge containing zinc ore to a rapid rotating or Whirling motion in a furnace, by means of an air current, mixed with carbon so as to form car-n 1o bon Inonoxid, substantially as described. I In testlnlony whereof I have signed my l name to this spcr-ificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses. (lAltll GUSTAF PATRIK DE IJAVAII. l \Vitnesses:

I WALDEMAR BOMAN,

l CARL LUBERG. 

